 | JIM ARTHUR
Although he never played much organized baseball, Jim fell in love with the game following the Tallmadge Little League teams on all age levels. And for 10 of the past 12 years he has made an annual trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA with a Tallmadge entourage. As a "sponsor" since 1985, his Tallmadge Stars teams have been consistent winners in Class E, D and AA ball. His teams won championships in D ball (1985, 1987, 1988, 1990 and 1991) in either the GABF or Northeast Ohio Cleveland Connie Mack Leagues. The 1989 team was district runner-up for the AABC Mickey Mantle Class E title. The 1986 and 1987 D teams also played in the Akron AA League, winning the second half title in 1986 and was runnerup to C&P Sales Co. in league playoffs. Jim has been very generous over the years, paying the bills out of his own pocket and providing use of his equipment to Tallmadge youth and high school teams.
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 | CLARK BAILEY
A Stow High grad who played third base for several years in the A League with Civitan Club, Zoff Heating and Old Dutch Beer before an injury curtailed his playing career. Clark turned to umpiring for 23 years, beginning on the high school level and on to the college ranks to work several regionals and a World Series tournament, besides calling a number of State high school finals. He was hired by the O.H.S.A.A. as a baseball rules interpreter and aided in producing the high school rules book. He did a comparative study of high school, college and pro rules that was used as a guide and study by umpires and coaches in many states besides Ohio.
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 | ROBERT "BOBBY" BAKER
Was an outstanding third baseman in the Norton and Wadsworth youth leagues and an All-Metro selection at Norton High in 1968-69. He was a 3-year letterman at Kent State and team captain in 1973. Played 14 years in AA league ball. Selected to 12 All-Star teams while playing with champion Red Pepper, Eaton Pride, Forest City, Custom Trophy and Crocker's Restaurant teams. A lefty hitter and speedy runner, he was usually among hitting and stolen base leaders. Was player-general manager of champion Forest City teams in 1978-80. And earned the Frank Garcia Memorial Outstanding Player Award in 1980. Following this active regular AA League play, he came out of retirement to play in the Senior League. He was an important contributor to the 20 win and no loss season of the Akron Blues championship team.
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 | RONALD "RON" DeGRAND
He capped a 3-year varsity career at Lakewood St. Edward High and was the first ever for that school as an All-State selection. He was MVP of All-Ohio Series as a hard hitting outfielder in 1968. That earned Ron a scholarship to Kent State where he also added catching duties in four years of play there, including an All-Mac 1972 season when he hit .423 and 8 homeruns. Before and after a stint with the Reno Indians in 1972-73, Ron played 4 years in the Lakewood League with the Parma Tals and Schrader Co. championship teams. He joined Akron Insulating in 1973-77, where he made the 1974 All-Star, helped the Insulaters win the 1975 title and guided them to a second place finish as 1976 player-manager. Ron has come out of retirement to participate in the Senior League. He was instrumental in helping the league champion Akron Blues team to a 20 win and no loss season.
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 | PHIL DIENOFF
A South High grad who entered Syracuse U on an athletic scholarship as a track star and finished first in the National Freshman Cross Country Championship. He returned to Akron and completed his career at Akron U in baseball, track and basketball. He took over at Garfield High in 1937, where his baseball teams won 10 City titles, the District title seven times, and two Regional titles in 34 years. He was the founder of the Summit Umpires Association, conducted numerous umpire clinics and schools. He umpired with a great love of the game for 40 years on area sandlots. Phil kept control of the games with his professionalism and players enjoyed his friendly attitude. He was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.
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 | JOE HARRIS
A transplant from Montgomery, Alabama where he was an All-Star lefthanded pitcher, first baseman and outfielder at Loveless High School. Joe moved to the Akron area for an outstanding career beginning in 1941 with Stembridge All-Stars, Elite Billiards, Wadsworth V.F.W. Merchants and Royal Vagabond teams on the local sandlots. He also played two years for the Traveling House of Moses Squad. Joe hurled three no-hitters, was named to four All-Star teams, consistently hit .300 and led Stembridge in RBI's four times. Joe fondly recalls his playing days on the Royal Vagabonds with the legendary Bobby Nash (1982-H.O.F.), Ormsby Pearson, Thurston Walker (1989-H.O.F.), and Ed Finney (1984-H.O.F.) as they traveled the northeastern Ohio area beating all comers.
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 | JOHN HOOVER
An outstanding, power hitting outfielder from the Copley-WABL Youth Leagues and then at Copley High where he earned many honors, including All-State selection in 1966. At Akron U, John was team captain, led the Zips in hitting, homers and RBI's in 1969-70 and was the Zips MVP in 1969. During a 19-year career in AA ball, John played on 10 title teams while with Airmatic Valve (beginning in 1966) and champion Black Labels, Red Pepper, Forest City and Crocker's Restaurant teams. He led the league in RBI's four times, homeruns twice, and won one batting title. He was also player-manager with three teams and played in 15 All-Star games. John continues to be active in Akron baseball as an umpire, and recently as a player in Senior League with the champion Akron Blues who were 20-0 in the 1991 season.
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 | JOHN JERINA
A scrappy infielder, primarily at third base. John, although only 5'8", 150 pounds, was a leading hitter on his Barberton High team for all four years, batting out of the "clean-up spot." During and after his prep days, John was tagged as a "tough out" at the plate for the Magics and with Killian Celtics, Farbers, Slovene Center and Barberton All-Star teams. As an 18-year old in 1941 he led the Butler Yankees of the Mid-Atlantic League in hitting and socked out 18 homeruns, 8 triples and 25 doubles. He also played for Danville, KY and Williamson, WVA. John played on three league championship teams and was named to seven All-Star teams during his career. He joins his older brother Tony, a 1989 H.O.F. inductee in the Hall.
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 | KEITH MCCLURE
He began his career in 1927 with the National A.C. as a hard-hitting third baseman and then with the Taylor Swing Motors 1930-31, McClure Grocers 1933-34, Tallmadge 1935-36 (Suburban League Champs in 1935), Wormser Hats 1937, O'Neil's 1938 A Champs and closed out his playing days with Simpson Markets. Keith continually maintained a .300 batting average on all the teams he played on. Keith stayed close to baseball as a behind the scenes booster and joined the G.A.B.H.O.F. in 1986. He received the George Popp Service Award in 1989 for outstanding work contributed during that year to the Hall of Fame and continues to lend a hard working hand to the group.
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 | JACK MILLER
Jack may be the only sandlot manager in Akron Amateur Baseball history to manage State championship teams in three age divisions. As a player himself, Jack was an average infielder at Copley and Buchtel High Schools and turned to managing in 1956. He had winning teams on all three levels, the first big one with 1958 State Class D champ Post
#209. He moved into AA ball with Akron Merchants, then with the powerful Black Labels
including the 1967 AABC State Championship. He also handled AA champ Wayne Knolls Farm in 1969-70 and led Barberton Weather-Seal to NABF Tournament action in Buffalo, NY and Nashville, TN, in 1971-72. He closed with WABL Class F teams and got his third State title in AABC play in 1974.
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 | LLOYD M. MILLER I
When they speak of athletes of the Kenmore area, Lloyd's name is mentioned right after Howard Harpster and Cliff Battles. He excelled in all sports, but baseball was his love and he displayed it with his enthusiasm for the game. A strong righthanded pitcher and a career .300 hitting outfielder, Lloyd was All-City at Kenmore High in 1938-39. He was usually among the pitching wins leaders for Goodrich, Kenmore Tavern, Farbers, Army-Navy #268, Smith Sheriffs and Kenmore Blues teams during the forties. Lloyd was named to seven All-Star teams and played on ten title teams, had five no-hitters and was drafted twice by Borden Autos and by Smith Sheriffs to pitch in national tournaments. Following his active playing days he helped organize Little League Baseball in the Kenmore area, serving as coach, manager, president and commissioner for several years. Lloyd passed away January 28, 1992.
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 | RONALD "RON" NEGRAY
One of the finest righthanders to come out of the area after pitching outstanding legion ball, Ron lost only two games in the four years he lettered at Garfield High and twice his teams went to the State finals. In 1948 Ron pitched for the Akron Orphans. In 1949 he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and was sent to Valdosta, Georgia in the Georgia-Florida League, where he compiled a 21 & 6 season, with 243 strikeouts and an ERA of less than 3.0. His pro career began in earnest when he pitched for teams in both the Eastern and Western Leagues in 1950. Moving to St. Paul in the (American Assoc.) in 1952 where he was 11 & 7, striking out 102 in 108 innings. The highlights of baseball in the pro ranks came for Ron when he was with the big clubs--the 1952 National League Pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers who lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series. He was with the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1952-54, Philadelphia Phillies in 1955-56, and the L.A. Dodgers in 1957-58. Ron saw a lot of action in the International League with Montreal in 1959, Toronto in 1960-62 and finished up with Hawaii in 1963 before retiring from baseball. Ron was a 1972 Summit County Sports Hall of Fame inductee.
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 | JOHN OHLSON
Played his youth ball in Cuyahoga Falls and became established as a strong righthanded pitcher and first baseman at Falls High. While there he posted a 15-1 record in 1962-63, was All-Inter City Conference (1962-63), All District (1963), before moving on to Bowling Green University as a pitcher-first baseman and clean-up hitter in 1964-65. He began AA ball with Blatz Beer 1964, played with champion Black Label and Akron Insulating teams and Barberton Weather Seal. As a starting pitcher and later as an excellent relief hurler, John was unbeatable from 1966 through 1976 as a relief hurler, never losing in those 11 years. He was named to six All-Star teams, including 1968 as a starter. John is another person who finds it hard to give up baseball, so he, too, joined the Senior League and was instrumental in the Akron Blues successful 20-0 season.
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 | JOE PETICCA
An outstanding lefthanded pitcher who used a fine fast hardball, a nifty assortment of curves, and a change of pace during a 14-year career on Akron sandlots and four years of service ball. Joe had several no-hitters in youth ball, beginning with the Akron Indians in 1934 and then O'Neil's Parrots, Gordon Drugs and Firestone Local. He was All-City at Buchtel High in 1938-39. He moved into A ball with Penn Tips, Goodrich, West Chevrolet, Falls Moose, Smith Sheriffs, Kenmore Taverns and Civitan Club teams around a stint in the Army. He also pitched for Fostoria (St. Louis Cards) in 1940. He managed several youth teams from 1960-1975 and served as president of South Akron National Little League from 1966-1976.
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 | HAROLD "HAL" SCHOONOVER
Hal started playing ball on the East Akron sandlots as an outfielder and became a pretty fair catcher at East High for four years, where he was a teammate of Gene Woodling, (our 1989 H.O.F.). He later developed his talents at Kent State U as a three year starter and also began A ball with Moore Wrestlers, Havre Chevy, the 1948-50 champion Borden Autos and retired with the Ravenna V.F.W. team. Hal was a .315-.325 hitter and a good RBI man. As a high school teacher and coach, he reinstituted baseball at North High in 1950, after it had been disbanded during the war years. During his own stint in service, Hal was the leading hitter for Abilene, Texas base title team in 1945 after having helped Lincoln, Nebraska win the 1944 2nd Airforce title. Hal was inducted into the 1985 Summit County sports Hall of Fame and served as president and general chairman in 1991.
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